US supports Karzai’s goal of transition of security by 2014
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Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that the US supports Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s goal of transition of security and responsibilities to Afghanistan by the end of 2014.
“We do not believe that there is any concern or issue that will be disruptive at all at the (NATO’s) Lisbon summit,” Clinton said when asked about news reports that there are differences on this issue between Karzai and American Generals in Afghanistan.
“We think that based on conditions on the ground, we support President Karzai’s stated goal of transitioning responsibility for all security to an Afghan lead by the end of 2014,” Clinton said.
She said that the pace of security and responsibility depends on the ability of the Afghan national security forces and Afghan national police forces to be able to take charge and that’s why it's a conditions-based, gradual transition process, not some one-time event.
Clinton said she shares the concerns of Karzai on continued presence of US forces in Afghanistan.
“We’ve discussed them on a number of occasions. But we believe that the use of intelligence-driven, precision-targeted operations against high-value insurgents and their networks is a key component of our comprehensive civilian-military operations,” Clinton said.
The US secretary of state said these operations are conducted in full partnership with the government of Afghanistan and includes Afghan forces on each operation.
There is no question that they are having a significant impact on the insurgent leadership and the networks that they operate, she said.
“We remain very sensitive to the concerns, so there have been revisions in the tactical directives that recognise the sensitivity of conducting night operations.
But we believe that these operations are in the best interest of the Afghan people, the Afghan government, and the ISAF troops who are working with their Afghan counterparts to secure the country,” Clinton said.
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